Arc Raiders Close Scrutiny and Assessors explained

Arc Raiders Close Scrutiny: Key art showing a character hiding in a bush in the foreground while another raider in the background breaches an Assessor.
(Image credit: Embark)

Close Scrutiny is a new map condition in Arc Raiders' Flashpoint update, and it might just be the most challenging one yet. Queens and Matriarchs are one thing, but the Close Scrutiny Arc Operation is a whole different beast, not least because of the new Vaporizer enemies spawning everywhere.

But thanks to the Assessors unique to this map condition, there's a lot of great loot up for grabs, providing you're up to the challenge. I'll explain Close Scrutiny below and what I'd recommend to make your runs successful.

Arc Raiders Close Scrutiny map condition explained

(Image credit: Embark)

Close Scrutiny is a new map condition that can occur on all of the exterior maps (no Stella Montis, in other words), which has the following unique effects active:

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  • Assessors spawn periodically
  • No active locked doors
  • Decreased amount of overall loot
  • Increased amount of Arc loot

Basically, your goal is to find and loot Arc Assessors, which are basically drop pods containing new Arc materials. While decreased overall loot is a pain, the enhanced Arc loot is valuable if you're searching for more robot parts. More specifically, Vaporizers and Surveyors spawn just about everywhere.

It's very much intended to be an endgame modifier given the difficulty and number of Arc that spawn. You won't get far without lots of healing items and strong weapons like the Hullcracker, Dolabra, or Wolfpacks. It's also much easier with a coordinated team, so grab some friends.

How to find and loot Assessors in Arc Raiders

Assessors are large, three-legged landing platforms that begin to spawn a few minutes into a Close Scrutiny match, and will continue to land over the course of the raid. You'll likely see them coming down from the sky, and when they land, they'll emit red beams of light that make it easy to track them down.

Race over to an Assessor and you'll find three containers that you can breach and loot by walking up the three legs—you'll have to wait for the platform to fan out if it hasn't already before you can breach it.

However, breaching the Assessor will trigger an alarm which will alert nearby Arc and spawn even more, including Vaporizors. Of course, other players will also hear the alarm and know you're trying to claim the prize.

Assessors are heavily guarded, so you can either approach them stealthily or go all guns blazing. Here are a few things I'd recommend to help you loot them:

  • Use a Photoelectric Cloak to sneak in and out while breaching
  • Throw smoke grenades while you're breaching a container to avoid Arc tracking you
  • Bring friends and strong gear like Hullcrackers and Wolfpacks to kill Vaporizers and other Arc that spawn

So what do you get from Assessors that makes it worth the trouble? Assessors can contain:

Arc Raiders roadmapArc Raiders best skillsArc Raiders best weaponsArc Raiders ExpeditionsArc Raiders questsArc Raiders Weather Monitor ProjectArc Raiders Trophy Display Project

Arc Raiders roadmap: New and improved
Arc Raiders best skills: Survive the surface
Arc Raiders best weapons: Just don't lose them
Arc Raiders Expeditions: Retire your Raider
Arc Raiders quests: All the missions and how to beat 'em
Arc Raiders Weather Monitor Project: Beat the wind
Arc Raiders Trophy Display Project: Big game hunter

Rory Norris
Guides Writer

Rory has made the fatal error of playing way too many live service games at once, and somehow still finding time for everything in between. Sure, he’s an expert at Destiny 2, Call of Duty, and more, but at what cost? He’s even sunk 1,000 hours into The Elder Scrolls Online over the years. At least he put all those hours spent grinding challenges to good use over the years as a freelancer and guides editor. In his spare time, he’s also an avid video creator, often breaking down the environmental design of his favourite games. If you can’t track him down, he’s probably lost in a cave with a bunch of dwarves shouting “rock and stone” to no end.

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